NEW DELHI: Ruckus in the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) House on Wednesday, during which AAP and BJP councillors were seen hurling water bottles at each other, resulted in multiple disruptions which further delayed the election of six Standing Committee members.
Earlier in the day, the House was adjourned for an hour (4.20 p.m. to 5.20 p.m.) after AAP candidates were elected to the post of Mayor and Deputy Mayor. However, when the proceeding commenced, BJP councillors raised objections over allowing mobile phones inside the polling booth.
BJP members assembled in the well of the House and started protesting against Mayor Shelly Oberoi. The protesting councillors demanded that no one should be allowed take to have their mobile phones with them in the polling booth.
The Mayor agreed to their demand and said that mobile phones will not be allowed while casting of votes. However, BJP councillors further demanded that the prior voting, which was allowed with mobile phones, should be cancelled. This triggered a ruckus, which led to the adjournment of the House for another half hour.
AAP councillors argued that the ballot papers are in limited numbers and thus the votes in no case can be cancelled.
Outside the House, AAP spokesperson Saurabh Bhardwaj accused the BJP of obstructing the election process in the MCD. "Despite losing the (mayoral) election, BJP councillors have been causing trouble in the House by disrupting the election process and making arbitrary demands," he said, terming it a "well-planned" move by the saffron party.
"The Supreme Court has ordered all three elections (Mayor, Deputy Mayor and Standing Committee members) to be held in the first session; the session won't conclude before the Standing Committee gets elected. It is certain that AAP will win the Standing Committee elections too. Elections will take place in this sitting only, even if the House has to be run for the whole night," Bhardwaj asserted.
"Just recently, the elections to the MCD were held and the Election Commission has said that a person can carry their mobile phones with them while going to cast their vote. The BJP members think that they are above the Election Commission," he noted.
"However, the Mayor agreed to their demand and said that mobile phones will not be allowed while casting of votes. After that, the BJP councillors said that the 45 votes that have already been cast by the councillors should be cast once again. The secretary had said that there are 245 ballots in total and therefore there is no possibility of a re-vote at any point," the AAP leader added.